I’m starting a new position as a first grade teacher in a few weeks. When I toured the classroom I’ll be in, I saw very few science-related materials. I want to emphasize science with my students, so what should I start to gather up?  —J., Georgia

There are many schools in which science, especially in the younger grades, is seen as an extra or something to do after the tests are over. It’s good that you want your students to study the world around them through science investigations, building on their energy, enthusiasm and curiosity.

I would ask the school for a copy of the science curriculum. The activities there could be your guide for what materials you’ll need. Also ask the principal or department chairperson if there is a central storage area for science materials in the school. Perhaps what you need is there. And ask about the school’s science budget and the policy for reimbursing teachers who spend their own money on classroom materials.

The best-case scenario is the school having a well-planned curriculum and adequate materials for implementing the lessons in it. The worst case is the school has neither.

If the school does not have a detailed curriculum guide, look at your state science standards for guidance on what students should be learning or exploring at this level. If you need ideas for specific lessons and investigations, refer to NSTA’s Science & Children journal. You can access and search the issues online as an NSTA member.

Science teaching at the elementary level does not necessarily require a lot of expensive materials or equipment. As you look at the activities in your curriculum or the issues of Science & Children, you’ll see that many of them use everyday materials. Students can investigate plant growth, examine rock samples or insects, observe bird or insect behavior, study mechanics and motion, explore magnetism, and collect weather data with simple and inexpensive materials. (For more science-on-a-shoestring ideas, you can also refer to the NSTA publication The Frugal Science Teacher, PreK-5.)

In the February 2015 issue of Science & Children, Cindy Hoisington and Jeff Winokur list some ideas for a “science toolkit” in their article Tools of Science Inquiry That Support Life Science Investigations.* These simple materials can help young students make measurements, record observations, and describe plants and animals:

• Hand lenses
• Bug boxes
• Terraria, which can be made from glass or clear plastic containers
• Large craft sticks for digging or exploring in dirt
• Field guides designed for younger students
• Measuring tools: rulers, meter sticks, measuring cups and spoons of different sizes
• Tools for recording and representing: clipboards (pieces of heavy cardboard with binder clips, colored pencils, chart paper, and markers)
• Trowels or small plastic shovels

To their suggestions, for a science classroom I would add

• Eye protection (I hope your school has these already)
• Objects to examine, sort, and manipulate: rocks, shells, cones, pictures, bones, and so on
• Plastic cups for measuring, starting seeds
• Binoculars
• Student notebooks
• Sticky notes

Expanding this list for physical and earth science investigations, students could use

• Marbles
• Magnets
• Small rolling cars
• Blocks (for building ramps, sorting, measuring)
• Maps—of your state and the country
• Easy-to-read thermometers
• Paper clips and rubber bands

As you collect materials for you toolkit, you need to organize and store the materials:

• Plastic boxes of different sizes for storage
• Boxes or trays for each team of students
• Small clear vials for objects that you don’t want students to touch directly (e.g., samples of different kinds of soil or sand
• Sealable plastic bags
• Plastic sheet protectors as an alternative to laminating handouts or pictures

And don’t forget to add science-related books to your classroom library. Check out books from your school library or begin your own collection at yard sales or library book sales.

 As Hoisington and Winokur note, the most important tools are our senses. They write, “And the ultimate tools for making meaning from your science observations is your own curious and thinking brain!”

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 *The article is available to NSTA members by accessing the digital version of the journal.

I’ve taught Earth Science for 10 years and I like my students and what I’m doing. But sometimes I feel overwhelmed and frustrated. Is this normal? How can I avoid burnout and stay positive?  —R., Washington

This dilemma came up at a recent event I attended. Most teachers identified with how you feel. One teacher remarked that when he started teaching 20 years ago, teachers were dealing with many of the same issues that we’re dealing with today—increased demands on our time, fewer resources for science, competition from students’ jobs and extracurricular activities, “lazy” students, helicopter parents or parents who don’t seem to be involved, administrators who don’t understand science teaching, the influence of standardized testing, and a lack of respect for teachers. He and the others agreed that a lot of burnout comes not from working with students but from unrealistic expectations and the influence of other adults. It’s not a comforting thought, but teachers have been overwhelmed for years!

We want to do whatever we can for our students but sometimes forget to do things for ourselves. By now you should have a good repertoire of teaching strategies and a comfort level with Earth Science content. If you’re doing schoolwork 24/7, it’s time to re-prioritize and focus on your health, your family, professional growth, and outside-of-school interests.

Here are some suggestions from our colleagues:

• Some unrealistic expectations are self-inflicted. It’s OK to cut back on things that are not essential to student learning, such as creating elaborate bulletin boards or busywork assignments for students.

• Put time for exercise on your calendar. Eat healthy and don’t skip meals.

• Surround yourself with positive people. If the faculty room is a den of iniquity, stay away. Share your planning or lunch period with a colleague or two and share ideas or divide some of the work. Or talk about something other than school.

• Students have one year of Earth science—you’ve already had 10 years of the course. Try a new theme or different big ideas each year to keep yourself from getting stale.

• Take advantage of social media, such as e-mail lists, blogs, discussion forums, Facebook, and/or Twitter for new ideas and resources, advice and suggestions, a few laughs, or a virtual shoulder to lean on. NSTA’s Social Media Dashboard is a good place to start.

• It’s hard for some teachers, but sometimes we have to blow our own horns. If you’re doing a good lesson, tell your principal about it, post a description on your class website, or send a note to parents

• Just as I have advised teachers just starting out in their careers, it’s important to guard your personal and professional time. If you hesitate to say no to a request from a principal because of time, your response could be “In place of what? If I do this, what can I take off my plate?” You don’t have to be on every committee or task force or coach multiple sports. Some teachers deliberately come to school early or stay late to complete their planning and paperwork, rather than taking things home with them.

• Keep a personal diary or journal. Write down the good things that happen each day and save any positive notes you get from students or parents.

• Maintain a professional rapport with your principal or other administrators. If you don’t complain about every little thing, when something important comes along, they might be more inclined to listen to you.

• Each month (or more frequently) set aside a “school-free” block of time. Visit a science museum or park, take a hike or bike ride, participate in sports, work on a hobby, attend a concert or lecture, read a novel, go to the movies—basically allow yourself some time to be a real person. Your family and friends will appreciate this.

Every teacher has had moments of frustration. I was often re-invigorated by attending a conference or working on a project with like-minded teachers. You are not alone, and you have a virtual community of colleagues to support you.

House consideration of H.R. 5, the bill to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind) ended on February 27 amid chaos around funding for the Department of Homeland Security and seemingly after reports that two conservative organizations, the Club for Growth and the Heritage Foundation, opposed the legislation because it did not go far enough to erase the federal government’s role in education.

As reported in earlier NSTA Legislative Updates, H.R.5 is the partisan Republican bill to rewrite the federal education law that would eliminate most federal education programs and allow states to determine funding priorities and how to help low income schools. The law also greatly restricts the powers of the Secretary of Education and allows portability for Title I funds. The bill was previously introduced by House Republicans and received no Democratic support. Chairman John Kline has said he would like the bill back on the House floor the week of March 16. The White House has issued a veto threat for the bill.

The House bill did pass the McKinley Workforce Critical Subjects amendment to H.R. 5 with support from both parties. This amendment was supported by NSTA and the STEM Education Coalition (although both groups do not support H.R. 5). Rep. David McKinley’s remarks can be found on Youtube– Part 1  Part 2.

In the Senate, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chair of the Senate HELP Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking Democrat on Senate HELP, are still working on big issues such as accountability and assessment in their efforts to craft a bipartisan draft for ESEA/No Child Left Behind reauthorization. Senator Alexander has indicated he would like to see a vote on an ESEA bill by April.

Here are two articles on the current situation.

• House Vote On ESEA Postponed To This Week (The National Law Review)
• Can an NCLB Rewrite Still Happen This Year? (Education Week)

Stay tuned and look for upcoming issues of NSTA Express for the latest information on developments in Washington, DC.

Jodi Peterson is Assistant Executive Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Chair of the STEM Education Coalition. e-mail Jodi at jpeterson@nsta.org; follower her on Twitter at @stemedadvocate.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

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In this video, columnist and physics teacher Ben Smith shares information from the Science 2.0 column, “Be Accessible via Mobile Devices,” that appeared in the February 2015 issue of The Science Teacher. Read the article here: http://bit.ly/1EYaplW

[youtube]http://youtu.be/GWqS2qKSBgM[/youtube]

The LEGO Education WeDo Construction Set was found to be an easy-to-use curriculum package designed for elementary school teachers. Although this kit is designed for students to build on previous Lego Education WeDo systems, it seems that it could be introduced without extensive previous experience with other Lego Systems. With this WeDo Pack, students can experience work in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Subsequently, students are able to apply knowledge of these subjects through several very meaningful and enjoyable hands-on activities.

The main activities are grouped into themes, i.e., a Construction Site theme and an Amusement Park Theme. Hence, when using the Construction Site theme, students can design a forklift, a drawbridge, and a tower crane. Conversely, if the Amusement Park theme is used, students can students can create a Finish Line, Ferris Wheel, or a Carousel.

One feature of this package that teachers and educational planners will find useful is that each activity comes with an assessment tool linked to measurable objectives. In addition, the higher-levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy can be measured by having the students engage in Problem-Solving Activities. For example, students who design an elevator can develop a “design brief” that creates a program to lower and lift the elevator when certain keys are pressed. The “Analysis” and “Evaluation” levels are demonstrated when students carry out tests to evaluate the performance of the model and evaluate the models safety.

Students can extend learning by taking on the challenge of making improvements and modifications to the constructed elevator. Students can record these modifications with digital photos and incorporate the images into a portfolio. The portfolio can be a great way to show how their enhancements improved the model. The kit comes with building instructions that are detailed and easy to follow. Perhaps one of the most useful attributes for teachers is that the activities are aligned with Common Core Standards and definitely meet the curriculum expectations of STEM. Legos have been popular for years and offer students a cost-effective means to accomplish objectives with a challenging, yet enjoyable learning experience for students.

The LEGO Education WeDo Software and Activity Set includes working motors and sensors that include printed building instructions for models and can be purchased at a cost of $69.95. Without any hesitation, I recommend this curriculum package for teachers and students.

Edwin P. Christmann is a professor and chairman of the secondary education department and graduate coordinator of the mathematics and science teaching program at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.